Most parts of India are likely to receive above-normal rainfall in July, the weather department said on Monday, asking authorities and people in central India, Uttarakhand and Haryana to stay alert due to the risk of flooding. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said rainfall is likely to be below normal in large parts of the northeast, many areas of eastern India and extreme southern peninsular India.
IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said during an online press briefing that there is a high chance of heavy rainfall in central India and the adjoining southern peninsula, which includes east Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, adjoining areas of Vidarbha and Telangana and parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra. “We must take precautions for all these river catchments, cities and towns,” he added.
Building on the early onset of the southwest monsoon (June-September), over the Kerala coast last month, this Monsoon wave has spanned the entire length of the country nine days ahead of the normal schedule, IMD said on Sunday.
These frequent pre-monsoon showers have led to significant loss of life and resources across the states of Uttarakhand, Odisha, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and parts of Telangana.
Himachal Pradesh
As monsoon remained active in Himachal Pradesh, news of rain-induced damages, building collapse, landslides, and road blockades continued to pour in throughout Monday. A five-storey building collapsed in Shimla on Monday morning, sweeping away cattle. However, no human casualties were reported.
Uttarakhand
Continuous rainfall across Uttarakhand has led to major disruptions in travel. The National Highway near Nandprayag, a vital stretch for pilgrims heading to Kedarnath, was blocked, making its clearance a top priority for the administration. The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand had also been temporarily suspended on Sunday, due to relentless rainfall across the region, which included a cloudburst that swept away the lives of 20 workers.
Gujarat
This June marks the wettest month recorded in Gujarat since 2015, with rainfall exceeding 288 mm as per official data collected by IMD. Gujarat has recorded 288.70 mm rainfall, or 32.73 per cent of its annual average so far. The India Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rain at isolated places in the districts of Sabarkantha, Aravalli, and in Daman and Dadra Nagar Haveli on Tuesday.